Carlos Mazón, the president of Spain's Valencia region, has resigned after months of pressure over his handling of flash floods that devastated the area last year.
A total of 229 people died in towns across the Valencia region on October 29, 2024, with an additional eight fatalities reported in neighboring regions, marking the worst natural disaster in decades for Spain.
Public sentiment heavily criticized Mazón for the government's response during the disaster. Reports revealed that he spent nearly four hours dining with journalist Maribel Vilaplana at a restaurant while emergency situations unfolded, failing to attend critical emergency meetings.
Moreover, his government did not issue an emergency alert regarding the floods to residents until after 8:00 PM, by which point many had already succumbed to the disaster.
I can't go on anymore... I know that I made mistakes, Mazón stated during his resignation announcement, admitting that he should have canceled his appointments to manage the crisis. He expressed regret, stating, I have said sorry and I say it again, but none of [the mistakes] were due to political calculation or bad faith.
Polling indicated that a significant majority of the public in Valencia demanded Mazón's resignation due to his poor management of the floods. Continuous protests had been organized, with one notable demonstration on October 25, where approximately 50,000 people marched for his resignation. His public presence decreased in recent months due to hostility from the public.
Despite the backlash, Mazón's insistence on attending a memorial service for the flood victims angered many families, leading to confrontations during the ceremony.
Mazón's resignation coincided with Vilaplana's testimony before a judge investigating potential negligence, during which she claimed Mazón was preoccupied with multiple phone messages and calls while dining.
He will remain a member of the regional parliament, ensuring he has immunity from prosecution. In his resignation, he criticized the left-wing central government, accusing it of obstructing aid to Valencia to inflict political damage.
Mazón had become a liability for the People's Party (PP), raising concerns about his ability to maintain electoral support in Valencia and nationally. His successor's appointment is complicated by the PP's reliance on support from the far-right Vox party in the region.
